Devices designed to present an obstacle over which an athlete must jump are well known. Thus, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 932,142 of Kimmel describes a leaper's obstacle which contains a hollow bar of flexible and air-tight material, means attached thereto to permit inflation with air, and means for attaching the bar to a support. U.S. Pat. No. 1,907,149 of Austin discloses a hurdle containing a set of curved standards and a hurdle bar. U.S. Pat. No. 1,928,280 of Barron describes an adjustable base for pole vaulting standards; Barron's device includes a base, upright members mounted therein and carrying horizontal guide rods, and an upright standard horizontally movable along such guide rods. U.S. Pat. No. 2,236,935 of Cameron describes a vaulting standard comprised of a base, a horizontally adjustable carriage on the base, and a horizontal bar supporting upright on the carriage. U.S. Pat. No. 3,222,064 of Langston discloses an automatic pole vault standard in which a horizontal bar is cantilevered from each of the uprights and spring-biased and pneumatically throttled to return to a standard position after contact by a participant. U.S. Pat. No. 3,497,212 of Gotcher discloses a diving hurdle comprised of a pair of standards, base means for supporting the standards on the deck of a pool, and a rope.
The prior art high jump assemblies present a substantial risk of injury to the athlete. With those high jump assemblies which utilize horizontal rods of aluminum or fiberglass material, there is a risk that the detached rods might fall onto the back of the jumper.
Some of the prior art devices utilize a high jump ribbon, such as a rubber cord, whose ends are retained under tension on the high jump stands by means of a tongue slide. The tongue slide permits the rubber cord to slide out of it when the cord is hit by the jumper. Unfortunately, in many cases, the quick rebound of the tensioned rubber cord causes injury to the jumper. Furthermore, if the rubber cord is not caused to release from the tongue slide(s) by the jumper's impact, pulsations may be created in the rubber cord which may cause the high jump stands to fall.
Some high jump assemblies contain a rope which is tensioned between the high jump stands by weights (such as small sandbags) at each end. In many instances, the impact of the jumper on the rope does not cause the rope to drop but rather pulled the high jump stands towards the center of the rope, causing the stands to fall onto the jumper.
It is an object of this invention to provide a high jump assembly comprised of a high jump ribbon in which the risk of injury to the jumper upon impact of the high jump ribbon is greatly reduced.
It is another object of this invention to provide a high jump assembly whose height can be readily adjusted.
It is yet another object of this invention to provide a high jump assembly which contains electronic means for measuring the height of a jump.
It is yet another object of this invention to provide a high jump assembly which contains means for leveling the electronic measuring means described above.